Imtiaz Rangwala chaired this session, which had four speakers representing different CSCs. The session had individual presentations and a panel discussion. Rangwala also participated in a separate panel discussion organized by the Southern Rockies LCC staff on integrated climate change information into decision making. Slides for Rangwala's presentation are available.

The climate FSA team organized a two-day workshop focused on the development and applications of fine-scale dynamical climate modeling to produce robust and usable climate projections for the northern Great Plains region. In particular, the focus was how these projections can help with ecological impacts modeling and inform socioecological adaptation projects. The workshop examined and discussed current tools and methods and identified gaps in the science and usability of the science for socioecological applications. Other important issues that were discussed included: model biases, physical processes important for simulating the mean and extreme character of climate in the northern Great Plains region, treatment of uncertainty, and appropriate design of RCM experiments. The participants included modelers, expert users of data for ecological applications, and experts familiar with climate risks in the region. A short report from the workshop was published in AGU’s Eos journal. A more detailed FAQ from this workshop is also released on the workshop’s website. The FSA team also presented a webinar to report out salient discussions from the workshop.

Mike Hobbins, a collaborator with the climate FSA team, presented a webinar describing Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI) to the NCCSC funded WRIR drought preparedness project team and stakeholders that included the tribal water engineers, who felt EDDI captured elements of drought during the 2015 growing season in the WRIR region. Based on feedbacks from the stakeholders, the climate FSA team also released an EDDI 2-pager document (in December 2015) as a short informational report to introduce and describe EDDI to the user community in general. Learn more in a DOI blog post about the tool.

Imtiaz Rangwala presented a webinar discussing issues related to bringing the understanding of climate science into decision making at regional scales. The discussion covered aspects related to uncertainty in climate projections and ways to incorporate them into the understanding of impacts and developing strategies. The presentation also focused on specific risks that could emerge or worsen in the NCCSC regions because of future climate warming.

There is a greater than 90% chance that El Niño* will continue through Northern Hemisphere fall 2015, and around an 85% chance it will last through the 2015-16 winter. Imtiaz Rangwala presented a webinar on the emerging 2015-16 El Niño event and its potential impacts on the North Central region of the U.S. The climate FSA team Jeff Lukas (WWA), and Andrea Ray (NOAA ESRL) colloaborated on the presentation. A recording is available, and Wyoming's Livestock Round-up of August 2015 (V27, N13) covered the information. Slides are attached to the full event announcement.

The “Think or Swim” Climate Change Symposium" (This Ain’t Your Old Man’s Climate Workshop!)
A musical evening to Talk Story in The Aloha Spirit Stories, Conversations and Random Thoughts about Water and Weather!!

Seven of the eight U.S. Department of the Interior Climate Science Centers (Alaska, North Central, Northeast, Pacific Islands, South Central, Southeast and Southwest) and the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) announced request for Statements of Interest (SOIs) and Proposals for funding in Fiscal Year 2015. Projects are invited that support CSC/NCCWSC science priorities as described in the guidance document below. [The Northwest CSC has committed all available funds for FY 2015 and is not accepting proposals at this time.]

Seven of the eight U.S. Department of the Interior Climate Science Centers (Alaska, North Central, Northeast, Pacific Islands, South Central, Southeast and Southwest) and the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) announced request for Statements of Interest (SOIs) and Proposals for funding in Fiscal Year 2015. Projects are invited that support CSC/NCCWSC science priorities as described in the guidance document below. [The Northwest CSC has committed all available funds for FY 2015 and is not accepting proposals at this time.]

Joe Barsugli organized this one-day workshop to introduce a group of ecologists to issues surrounding evapotranspiration and how to best include it in our models of the impacts of climate change on species distributions and other ecological processes. See attachments for a link to the recording from the workshop as well as slides and the agenda.